Keep Calm and Keep Cool: Handling a Fridge Breakdown in Your Business

Picture the scene: It’s Friday night. Your restaurant is packed, the Prosecco is flowing, the kitchen is humming, and then – bam – your walk-in fridge gives up the ghost. It’s hotter than Ibiza in July in there, your scallops are sweating, and the head chef is teetering on the edge of meltdown.

First things first: Keep calm and keep cool. (Easier said than done, we know.) But when disaster strikes and your refrigeration breaks down, there are a few things you can do to prevent stock loss and save your sanity. Here's our emergency fridge hire guide, written by people who’ve seen it all (and kept it chilled).

Step One: Assess and Act Quickly

Before you do anything dramatic (like cry into a crate of camembert), shut the fridge or freezer doors and leave them shut. It sounds obvious, but keeping the cold trapped inside can buy you precious time. A closed fridge will retain its temperature for a short while – just long enough to make your next move.

Don’t start moving stock around just yet, and definitely don’t keep opening and closing the door to check. That lovely blast of cold air escapes every time. Be like Elsa – conceal, don’t feel.

Step Two: Call in Emergency Backup

This is where Cotswold Fridge Hire (CFH to our friends) steps in. We offer 24/7 mobile refrigeration and freezer trailer rental to businesses across the UK. Whether it's 3pm or 3am, we’re just a phone call away – and we’ve been known to deliver an emergency fridge trailer hire within hours.

We’re not here to just drop a trailer and disappear. We help you set up, we check temperatures, and we even smile while doing it. Rapid response refrigeration is what we do best – especially when your entire weekend service depends on it.

Types of Trailers – One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Not all refrigeration emergencies are created equal – and neither are our trailers. We offer a range of options to suit your needs:

• Chiller trailers for keeping food and drink cool at the perfect serving temperature.

• Freezer trailers for frozen goods that need to stay well below zero.

• Dual-temperature trailers that give you both fridge and freezer compartments in one unit (yes, it’s as clever as it sounds).

• And then there’s the big one: our Arctic Fridge Units – ideal for large-scale events, commercial supply, or big businesses needing serious cold space.

Whether you're a local deli or a nationwide distributor, no job is too small or too big. We’ve got you covered.

A Real-World Scenario: The Friday Night Save

Let’s go back to that poor restaurant manager we mentioned earlier. Walk-in fridge gone. Ice cream melting. Friday night booking list longer than your arm. They called CFH.

Within two hours, our lovely driver had dropped off a fully powered fridge trailer. By 10pm, everything was back in place – dairy rescued, drinks chilled and calamity avoided. Customers none the wiser, staff back to smiles (with perhaps a glass of wine or two in celebration).

We don’t just offer fridge trailer hire UK-wide. We offer peace of mind.

Discreet, Professional and Proud of It

We know that when your fridge fails, the last thing you want is everyone knowing about it. That’s why our trailers have a subtle sign writing – they’re discreet, clean, and get the job done without drawing attention. We completely understand that pride matters – especially in a busy street or high-end venue.

With us, it’s not just about fixing the problem. It’s about doing it with respect, care, and minimal fuss.

Step Three: Prevent the Panic Next Time

The moral of the story? Plan for the unexpected. We get it – no one ever thinks they’ll need an emergency freezer for caterers on the road or fridge hire for restaurants in crisis. But it’s worth having our number pinned to the noticeboard, just in case.

In fact, why not pop it in your phone now? 01789 224884 – we’re not saying we’re heroes, but we’re pretty handy in a refrigeration emergency.

We’ll be writing more on refrigeration breakdown cover, emergency fridge repairs and off-peak refrigeration rental deals in future blogs, so stay tuned. And if you’re reading this at 11pm because something’s just gone wrong in your kitchen, don’t wait. Call us NOW.